To The United States of America: Whose freedom I found as a youth; Which I cherish; And without which nothing that has been accomplished in a lifetime of endeavour could have come to pass CONTENTS 1. Prelude: How It All Began 11 2. The Swan 17 3. Three Ladies: Not from the Maryinsky 28 4. Sextette 47 5. Three Ladies of the Maryinsky--and Others 66 6. Tristan and Isolde: Michel and Vera Fokine 92 7. Ballet Reborn in America: W. De Basil and his Ballets Russes De Monte Carlo 105 8. Revolution and Counter-Revolution: Leonide Massine and the New Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo 125 9. What Price Originality? The Original Ballet Russe 138 10. The Best of Plans ... Ballet Theatre 147 11. Indecisive Interlude: De Basil’s Farewell and a Pair of Classical Britons 183 12. Ballet Climax--Sadler’s Wells and After ... 208 13. Epilogue: Unborn Tomorrow 310 Index 323 S. HUROK PRESENTS 1. Prelude: How It All Began In the mid-forties, after the publication of my first book, a number of people approached me with the idea of my doing another book dealing with the dance and ballet organizations I had managed. I did not feel the time was ripe for such a book. Moreover, had I written it then, it would have been a different book, and would have carried quite another burden. If it had been done at that time, it would have been called _To Hell With Ballet!_ In the intervening period a good deal has happened in the world of ballet. The pessimism that prompted the former title has given way on my part to a more optimistic note. The reasons for this change of heart and attitude will be apparent to the reader. At any rate, this book had to be written. In the volume of memoirs that appeared some seven years ago I made an unequivocal statement to that effect, when I wrote: “There’s no doubt about it. Ballet is different. Some day I am going to write a book about it.” Here it is. It is a very personal account, dealing with dance and ballet as I have seen it and known it. For thirty-four years I have not only watched ballet, but have had a wide, first-hand experience of and contact with most of the leading dance and ballet organizations of the world. This book is written out of that experience.